


'Destiny' Is Another Word for 'Coincidence'

by ambiguously



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Awkward Dates, Everybody Lives, F/M, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 15:32:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13504473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambiguously/pseuds/ambiguously
Summary: Ezra asks Leia out on a date. This is a terrible idea.





	'Destiny' Is Another Word for 'Coincidence'

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place in a happy bubble universe where everyone is alive and well and together and nothing hurts.

Kanan's head turned towards the entrance ramp of the ship before the rest of them even heard the footsteps. Hera had noticed he tried not to show too often how much of his current awareness had nothing to do with his hearing, but sometimes he forgot. As it was, they were all watching the hatch when Ezra came into the common area and flopped down on a stool. His face had gone pale, like it had that time they'd taken on spoiled rations and found out too late. Kanan looked worried now.

"What's wrong?" Hera asked him, before the teasing could start.

Ezra buried his face in his hands, elbows on the table, mindless of the datapads there. "I asked her."

"Asked who?" she asked, just as Zeb said, "You didn't."

Sabine asked, "What did she say?"

Hera had a bad feeling she was coming in late to this conversation. She liked to know everything that was going on with her crew, before they did whenever possible. Putting on her kindest and least inquisitive smile, she said, "Why don't you start from the beginning."

Face still covered by his hands, Ezra said, "I asked Princess Leia out."

Gone were the days when Hera could shoot Kanan a look to encourage him to speak up or shut up as necessary. Instead, she bumped his leg under the table with her foot. Kanan nudged her back. He didn't intend to get involved yet.

Sabine said, "Yeah, but what did she say?" She was holding back a laugh, though there was a touch of tension in her eyes that might be a problem later.

"She said she had to talk to her parents first."

"That's a no," Sabine said, her tension easing away. "Better luck next time." She gave him a pat on the shoulder.

Kanan said, "Why did you ask Princess Leia out?"

Ezra pushed back from the table, slumping on his stool. "Because she's pretty, and she's smart, and I like her."

Zeb chuckled. "So she's got nothing in common with you, then." Chopper agreed.

Hera patted his hand. "Leia is a lovely girl," she shot a look at Zeb and Chop to knock it off, "and you're a great boy. You shouldn't take it personally that she turned you down. She's got to consider more than just her own feelings. Young women in her social position are expected to find partners according to the needs of their station." And when those young women have shouting matches with their fathers on many subjects, including that they have no intention of marrying anyone in their social station, they wind up grabbing their droids and stomping out the door, she thought to herself.

"She didn't say no," Ezra said. "She said she had to ask." He sighed. "It sounds like a no, doesn't it?"

Kanan said, "This isn't going to be a problem, is it? Senator Organa isn't going to decide to have us all beheaded or anything? That gets messy."

Hera kicked him again. "No. It's fine. Ezra asked out his daughter, he didn't get her pregnant. Right, Ezra?"

"What? No!"

"Then there's nothing to worry about."

* * *

Bail kissed Leia atop one braid as she settled for supper, his mouth curling into a contented smile at the chance to spend time with her. Once she took over his Senate seat in a few short weeks, they would see her less and less. He could justify bringing his daughter along with him on Senate duties. His accompanying her on her own duties would only undermine her. Leia could no longer spend her days here on Alderaan with her mother as she finished her studies, and Breha could hardly go with her to Coruscant. Their beloved girl was growing into an accomplished, amazing woman, and she would leave them behind for the wonderful things she had yet to achieve. For tonight, the three of them were home together as a family. Bail intended to appreciate this time with her, and he would not let himself dread the days to come when her chair would be empty and he would not see her for months at a time.

The serving droids set the dishes before them. Breha leaned over the roasted fowl and breathed deeply. "I see this was the entrancing smell that filled the Council room all afternoon," she said with a dreamy smile. "It's hard to focus on crop disputes when all you can think about is how good dinner will taste later."

Leia smirked, but she didn't hesitate when it was her turn to pile her own plate with food. "Why don't we have the good cooking droids at the Senatorial suite again?" she asked between bites.

Bail said, "To give us something extra to look forward to when we get home."

They chatted about Breha's work today. She hadn't ignored the crop issue, and both Bail and Leia needed to know what the current status was. He noticed after a while that Leia was pushing her food to one side of her plate, then very carefully moving it to the other side of her plate, taking the occasional bite as the pieces moved from side to side. She was distracted.

"Leia, dear," Breha said, noticing the same thing. "Is there something troubling you?"

"No. Not troubling." She looked up from her plate to her mother with an absent smile. "It's fine."

Whatever "it" was did not sound fine to Bail's suddenly very interested ear. "Did something happen?"

Leia closed her mouth. Three petite vegetables migrated to the other side of her plate. "I was asked out on a date."

A strange flush went through him, a warm worry which Bail had not experienced in solid form before this moment, and which he had a bad feeling he would come to know very well. Leia was an attractive young woman. A few bold suitors had made the politest of inquiries to him about her interest, and Bail had firmly told them Leia was capable of making up her own mind, and that mind was currently focused on her studies and career.

Breha said, "That sounds like good news." She let the half-question linger in her words until Leia nodded absently. She smiled at their daughter. "Is it someone from Coruscant?"

He hadn't even considered that far. He knew many of the younger Senators found one another the closest each had to peers, but romances grew more complex when the representatives for bickering systems brought their personal lives into play.

"No, someone from the Rebellion. That's complicated, isn't it? I can't be seen associating with known Rebels." Four more vegetables made the journey across the plate, and a fifth popped into her mouth.

Bail said, "It could be dangerous politically."

"Who, dear?" Breha asked. "Is it anyone we've met?"

"Father has met General Syndulla's crew several times." She ate two more vegetables. The rest began the long march back.

Bail shared a look with Breha, who'd heard his stories. He relaxed a bit as she said, "I've heard the Wren family is very highly regarded on Mandalore, even with the recent problems. It's easy enough to say you met their daughter at a party and kept up a correspondence."

"Sabine is a fine young woman," Bail said, but Leia's head had already come up from examining her migrating food again.

"Sabine didn't ask me. Ezra did." She paused. "I think Sabine tried to ask me out a few weeks ago but I was distracted and didn't realize it until later."

Bail focused on the important part. "Ezra Bridger asked you out?"

She nodded. Breha asked, "You've told me a little about him, dear. Do you know anything about his family?"

Leia rolled her eyes, a habit she needed to quit before she did the same to someone who would take it as a declaration of war. "Not everything is about making connections with powerful families."

"Of course not," Breha said. "Obviously, you can make your own decisions about your romantic life. I'd like to think we've helped to guide you into making decisions that are good for your future and for the future of your home world. A romantic partner from a good family will understand you have duties to look forward to."

"I like his adopted family fine," she said, with a hint of her temper showing through the words. "Besides, he's a Jedi. They aren't even supposed to meet their families. Maybe he's a prince and doesn't know it."

Bail tried and failed to superimpose the impish, scarred youth he knew with the term "prince". "Perhaps," he said. "Regardless, your initial worry was correct. He's too well-known to the Empire. If you're spotted together, it could endanger our position in the Senate. You'll have to be discreet."

"I haven't said yes yet. I told him I'd think about it and discuss the matter with the two of you." Leia put on a careful smile. "I do know my duties, after all."

Breha took her hand. "We trust you to make whatever decision you feel is wisest. I agree with your father that you should make an effort not to be seen in public together." She turned to Bail. "There are two Jedi on Syndulla's crew, as I recall. Back in the day, they were famously discouraged from any romance. How times have changed."

She met his eyes, and he saw that she shared his other worries, the ones they never spoke aloud in front of their daughter. Leia remained in the dark about her own origins, and the potential of her abilities. Bail had not yet chosen to entrust either secret with the two Jedi who might help her unlock her powers. Should Leia begin spending more time with Ezra, and as a consequence with his master, there was a chance she'd unlock them on her own. She would have questions.

"I'll think about it," Leia said. She finished her meal with a few quick bites, her thoughts elsewhere.

As she stood to carry her plate into the kitchens, Bail said, "I didn't even know the two of you had been talking."

She shrugged, and gave him an amused almost smile that reminded him of Padmé. "We talk sometimes. There aren't a lot of other Rebels who are our age to talk to. We even have the same birthday. Isn't that the funniest coincidence?" She took her plate and walked away. They watched her go.

"Dear," Breha said after a moment. "The Jedi boy has the same birthday she does. Did you know that?"

"I would have mentioned if I did." Leia's birthday wasn't her real birthday. They had altered the records for her adoption. That didn't mean others hadn't done the same.

"Where's he from?"

"Lothal."

"You're sure?"

"He lived on Lothal." He had no parents. He'd been adopted. "I can ask."

"Your friend." Her voice was laden with meaning on the word. "When was the last time you spoke with him? I'm sure you said he went to Tatooine. Did he stay there?"

"It's been years. I'll see about making contact as soon as possible." His appetite lost, Bail carried his plate into the kitchens. Leia still stood by the cleaning droid. She had a dreamy look on her face he didn't like. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," she said. She tiptoed up to kiss his cheek, which only made him more nervous.

"I think you should decline," he said quickly. "He's not suitable for you. He's wanted by the Empire, and he is a bit of a ruffian."

Leia lost her smile. "We hate the Empire, and Ezra's not a ruffian. He's a Lieutenant Commander in the Rebellion." She walked away, shoulders set in a way he didn't like, just as Breha came into the kitchens.

She watched Leia, then turned to Bail. "What did you say to her?"

"I told her she should say no. It's for the best."

There was a low noise from the doorway. She'd heard him. There came the very clear sound of her storming away. He looked at his wife, who set down her own plate and placed her hand over her face.

"B? I know it's been a long time since you were a teenager, but tell me you remember what happens when you tell one not to do something?"

He did remember. "Leia is a good girl. She'll respect our wishes."

"She's calling him right now to say yes."

* * *

Leia paused only long enough to scramble the signal. Father had the codes for a direct transmission to the _Ghost_. Before she could talk herself out of this, she typed in, _"Sounds like fun. Where do you want to go? - L"_ before hitting Send.

* * *

Ezra stared at the message. "This isn't some prank, right?" Hera shook her head, but he glanced at Chopper, who definitely would fake a communication from someone if he thought there was a laugh in it. "You're sure?"

"I authenticated the codes," she said, following his gaze for a moment. She hadn't trusted Chopper, either.

"It's real?" His heart gave a hard thump. He'd never asked anyone on a date before. Leia was gorgeous, and his age, and they'd laughed over the birthday thing because it was funny, and now she was agreeing to go out with him. "What do I wear? What do I do? Where do I take her?"

The cockpit door was open, and for whatever reason, so was the door to Sabine's room. Of course the one time she'd left it open instead of hiding away in there was when he was freaking out. She popped her head out. "Wait, she actually said yes?"

"Yeah."

She came out of her room. "You can't wear that."

"The only other thing I have is a Biker Scout disguise."

"Don't wear the Biker Scout disguise."

"I know!" He flopped into his chair. "I can take her out on the Gauntlet somewhere."

"You could borrow the _Phantom_ ," said Sabine.

"No, you can't," Hera said. "You blew up the last _Phantom_. You don't get to fly the new one."

"Gauntlet. Right."

She added, "Wear what you have on now. Wash it first. Leia's going to like you for who you are, not what you're wearing."

Sabine said, "You can't borrow any of my stuff." She turned around and walked out, and this time, she closed the door to her room.

"Right. I can borrow something."

"You don't need to," Hera said, but he was already on his feet and trying to figure out who had clothes he could wear. Most of the Rebels here had only one set of clothes, two if they had a uniform to change into. They'd lost their borrowed civilian clothes when they'd left Lothal. Maybe he could borrow an old shirt from Kanan. His own old clothes were too small, but the jacket had been cool, and maybe it wouldn't look too bad.

"I've got this," he said out loud, and ignored the expression on Hera's face that said he did not in fact have this in the slightest.

"Just be yourself," she said.

* * *

They'd decided to meet on Gala. Ezra couldn't come to Alderaan without being seen, and Princess Leia limited her comings and going from Rebel hideouts for much the same reason. Kanan still thought this was a bad idea, not only because he was concerned how Senator Organa would react. The Rebellion was less a meeting of equals united by a cause, and more like a sack of loth-cats whose only combined interest was getting out of the sack, at least if Hera's stories from the Command meetings were accurate. Kanan was not looking forward to getting scratched by the biggest cat in the bag.

Also, he wasn't sure, but he suspected certain members of the crew were using the opportunity to prank Ezra, which wasn't going to end well, either.

"No, you look fine," Sabine said, and the amusement rolled off her.

Zeb said, "Yeah. Add a balloon on a stick and your outfit is perfect."

Hera said, "I still think you should wear your usual uniform."

Kanan shrugged. There was a time he'd concerned himself with his own clothes and appearance, but over the past several years, 'clean' had generally triumphed over 'cool,' and in the last two years, 'clean' had been his only concern.

"You'll be back tomorrow?" he asked, more of a reminder than a question.

"As soon as I can," Ezra said. Nervousness filled the air around him in a thick cloud.

Zeb said, "Don't get her killed." He moved off.

"Definitely don't get her killed," Kanan said. "Don't get yourself killed, either. Have fun but not too much fun. You don't have a lot of credits."

"It'll be fine," Hera said, and she moved towards Ezra for a moment, for a hug or a friendly hand squeeze. Kanan couldn't tell which though he felt a little of Ezra's worry dissipate. "Be nice. Don't think of it as a date. Think of it as a chance to get to know a friend better. Talk to her."

"He's going to bomb this," Sabine said, and she left. The worry spiked back up.

Kanan said, "Go. You don't want to be late."

"Right. See you tomorrow."

He went up the ramp to the _Nightbrother_. Kanan was not going to think about what traps Maul had left behind him after his death.

"He'll be fine," Hera said as Ezra lifted off. "You did have that talk with him?"

"Talk?" She waited. "Oh, that talk. Yeah, a while ago." It had been abbreviated and awkward and that was another thing Kanan didn't want to think about.

"You didn't have it again recently? He's older than you were when you...."

"I know."

"Because we agreed," she said, heading back towards the _Ghost_. "You'd have that talk with Ezra, and I'd have that talk with Sabine. And I did." She started walking up the ramp a few steps ahead of him. She said casually, "It was great. I learned a lot."

Kanan froze on the ramp. "Wait, what? What did you learn?"

"Lots of things," Hera said, still walking away.

His imagination was far too good, and his memory even sharper. Images flashed unwanted through his mind. Two minutes ago, those would have been very good memories. "Wait, you didn't learn.... Hera? What part did you learn?!"

* * *

Finding a reason to go to Gala was simple. Leia came and went as she pleased from home, at least in theory. She could take a day trip somewhere nice if she wanted, and if that somewhere nice was close to Yavin 4 without drawing attention she was near Yavin 4, so much the better. They'd agreed to meet near the spaceport. Mandalore wasn't far which meant a Mandalorian ship wouldn't bring any questions as Ezra paid the docking fee, or so she hoped.

She had been raised better than to pick at her clothes or worry about her hair as a nervous fidget. She composed herself, keeping her expression carefully neutral, as she waited for her companion to retrieve his chit from the dock master.

Ezra's whole face lit up when he finally noticed she was there. "Hi!" he said in a high, squeaky voice. He coughed and dropped his tone two whole registers, which sounded even worse. "Hello, Leia."

"Hello. Did you have a good flight?"

"Yeah, the ship handles really well," he said, for a moment glancing back and forgetting he was trying to look suave. Good, because that was not going to work, she thought. He turned back to her. "You look great. I mean, you always look great, but you look especially great." He dropped his face into the palm of his hand. "Sorry. I'm bad at this. I should leave."

"Thank you, and no, you should stay." Realizing she was going to have to take charge of things, Leia grabbed his arm and held it. "Come on. I booked us a place for dinner."

"You did?"

"Yes. Unless you made a reservation somewhere else?"

"What's a reservation?"

"Right. Dinner." She saw the other worry cross over his face, could practically feel it. "I'm buying, by the way. My restaurant pick, my treat. All right?"

"Sure," he said, and let her lead him out of the space port. She kept a light hold on his arm, which brought them closer but felt less intimate than holding his hand would. He took a deep breath when they reached the walkway beside the street. Luxurious vehicles darted past them, bearing their riders to their destinations. Leia had considered renting a groundcar for the day, but walking was nicer.

Ezra asked, "Have you been here before?"

"Once. My father had a diplomatic mission here, and I came along to observe."

He relaxed. "He spent a long time training you for your job."

"Yes. I love it, though. I know the Senate has lost most of its power under the Empire, but I feel we've kept our ability to hold back the very worst. The Emperor can't use the Senate as a rubber stamp for anything he wants."

"He just ignores you and does it anyway." He must have heard about Rhador. The massacre had been reported two days ago. The Rebellion had been ready to offer assistance, but there were no survivors left to assist.

"That's true. Alderaan prefers diplomatic options whenever possible, of course, but in necessity, other options must be available." She was aware of how formal her own words sounded coming out of her mouth. Her mother teased Leia about being on the edge of lecturing at all times. She shook her head and squeezed his arm. "Obviously there are some nice benefits to the other options."

"Obviously."

They walked together in silence for another block. Leia could think of hundreds of conversational topics, but she dreaded going into lecture mode, and she wasn't sure Ezra paid attention to galactic politics more detailed than 'Empire bad, Rebellion good.'

"Have you seen any good holos lately?" he asked as they crossed another street.

"I don't watch holos very often. I don't get much free time to myself."

"Why not? I thought for sure a princess could do whatever she wanted." He seemed genuinely surprised.

"Not really, no. I've been shadowing Father for years whenever I can, both his official work and his unofficial. He's usually in session, in his study reading over new legislative proposals, or out on some errand or another where we have to go in prepared. I'm expected to do the same to be prepared for when I enter the Senate myself. But more of my time has been taken up by school. Mother would like for me to attend university but since that's not an option, I've been tutored at home, and of course, there's a lot of work to do."

She stopped. She was talking too much about herself, but he'd asked. Ezra didn't look bored, which was good. He looked mildly confused, which was less good. Leia changed the subject.

"I imagine it's got to be the same for you with your studies, practicing all the time with your teacher."

"It used to be. I practice on my own most of the time. The problem is, Kanan taught me everything I know, and we're too good at anticipating each other's moves."

They reached the street with the restaurant. "That's just swordplay," she said, smoothing over the truth in case of listening ears. "Doesn't he also teach you philosophy? Father used to be friends with many people who practiced the old ways. Swords were a very small part of things back then."

"Maybe. I don't know much about the philosophy side. Mostly it's about not giving in to fear and anger. The swords have come in more handy."

She'd read enough and heard enough that she knew there was more to Jedi teachings than a quick platitude about holding your temper. She didn't know enough to argue further, though. While her parents had encouraged Leia to study every topic under every sun, they'd told her the Empire showed too much of an interest in those who wanted to study that particular banned topic, and it was for the best she chose other fields of study.

They entered the restaurant, the doors sliding open smoothly before them. Leia gave the hostess a formal smile. "Our reservation is under 'Organa.'"

The hostess gave a little bow, and without a word, led them to a table on the mezzanine overlooking the central area. In the evenings, they had musicians play, and there would be dancing. Leia had a feeling her date wouldn't have the faintest idea of what to do about either. "Thank you," she said.

The hostess flashed the quickest flicker of eyestalks towards Ezra, obviously expecting him to pull out Leia's seat for her. Leia sat down before he could, ending that question. He sat down in his own chair, looking out of place in his too-small jacket and uncomfortable clothes, and the way he kept sneaking glances at the few other guests here at this hour told her he knew it. He tried resting his arm against the back of his chair, which didn't help. He put his hands in front of himself, nervously playing with his own fingers until he folded them.

"So," he said, and stopped.

"I've never been here," Leia said, opening the menu pad curiously. The screen showed them each delicacy available in holographic detail so crisp Leia could almost taste the sauce. Ezra craned his neck to see better, and brushed through the selections. A feed to the kitchen monitors showed them the chefs at work. Another swipe took them through the history of the ingredients for each dish. By the time they were reviewing the history of the parsley, the deep silence was impossible to ignore.

Their server arrived, a droid with chrome so polished Ezra kept blinking at the bright reflections from its surface, and filled the glasses beside them with a shimmering liquid. In a smooth voice, it said, "May I entice you with the chef's starting morsels?"

"What's the dish?" Leia asked.

"Balatana marinated in edda wine."

She caught the confusion on her date's face and said, "It sounds delicious. We'd love some."

"Yeah," he agreed quickly. Leia considered teasing him that balatana was the larval young of some slug species or another. She'd always thought the squishy fruits resembled dirtworms, down to the dull color. Maybe later.

"Have you chosen your meal or shall I return?"

She looked at Ezra. "Do you trust me?"

"I guess. I mean, sure," he said. "I definitely trust you."

"Okay." She gestured to the menu and ordered her two favorite dishes. "We'll dine together."

"Of course." The droid rolled away smoothly.

Ezra picked up his glass and took a quick drink. Leia opened her mouth to warn him too late. She saw his eyes grow huge, and for a moment, she was sure he was going to spit on her by accident. Her mental picture was crystal clear.

Very deliberately, he swallowed, then coughed. "That's not water," he said after a long moment with a gasping voice.

"Galadian brandy, I'm guessing. Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine," he said with a wave. "What are we having for dinner?" His voice was returning, and she heard a little fear as he pushed his glass to the side of the table.

"You'll be happy to hear they'll bring us water. Also Nikan sprigs, and diced jard with alanti honey."

"I think I've heard of honey," he said, but with a quick smile that put her at ease. "What made you pick this place?"

"It seemed nice." She heard the words come out of her mouth too quickly, and she couldn't stop the guilty flicker of her own eyes to check his reaction.

"It is nice," he said, looking around again. "I would have gone with some place more casual." His eyes widened. "I'm not complaining! It's great. It's just...."

"Not your style?"

"I keep expecting the droid to kick me out. I'm not sure they'd let me in the kitchen to wash the dishes." He deflated, shoulders drooping.

She reached out for his hand. "It's fine."

Her wrist comm vibrated. Leia pulled her hand away before Ezra could feel the signal.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to step out for a moment." She made a quick, embarrassed smile that she hoped he would read as a need for the 'fresher. She stood up, and he did too in a rush, some bid at politeness he didn't need. She reached out with her comm-free hand and gave his a squeeze. "I'll be back before the balatana is here."

* * *

As soon as Leia was out of sight, Ezra rested his face in his hands. Zeb had warned him to practice what he wanted to say before now, but Zeb was always trying to pull one over on him. The only time he hadn't felt like a thick-tongued fool was talking about his training, and Leia didn't want to hear about boring Jedi stuff.

He'd nearly spit on her. That had to be bad, but not as bad as if he'd actually done it, right? Right. She hadn't run away to the refresher to laugh at him, or worse, to make an excuse to leave. What if she had?

Ezra decided a trip to the refresher wasn't a bad idea. He could even step outside for a moment, use his commlink to patch into the _Nightbrother_ 's communications system, and place a call back home. Kanan had dated girls years and years ago before he got old and more or less married. He might have some advice Ezra could use. His only advice earlier had been not to do anything stupid that would get the Senator mad at them all. Almost spitting on his daughter might qualify.

He asked a serving droid where to go. As he made his way over, he saw his date slipping out the front door.

Ezra's heart sunk. He'd ruined it already. Leia had figured out he was some lothrat, and she didn't want to waste the rest of her time with him.

He had fifty credits to his name at the moment. Having glanced through the menu, he was sure that wouldn't cover the cost of the brandy. He changed direction and followed her, not looking at the hostess as he went out. Embarrassment would eat him later. For now, he was on a new planet he didn't know, and he needed to get back to the dock.

He saw Leia, not far. Ezra followed her at a distance, hoping to see a familiar street or sign. He hadn't paid much attention as they'd walked here. He could blame himself for that later, too. A street away, Leia stopped. Ezra froze, hoping to stay out of sight. This would only get worse if she thought he was following her, which he was, but only to get home. She was talking to someone, a human male some years older than she was. He could make out her smile.

She'd left their date to go see someone else. That didn't even make sense.

A Jedi did not give into anger or jealousy or a lot of other nonsense that Ezra heard in his memory now with a dull buzzing in his ears. A Jedi also knew how to make his way through a crowd without being seen. He got closer, not wanting to overhear and also very much wanting to overhear.

Leia took the hand of the man she was talking to. The man turned, looking straight at Ezra. He grabbed Leia's arm and pulled her behind him, placing himself between her and Ezra. In an instant, he'd pulled out a blaster.

Ezra acted on instinct. He hadn't wanted to carry his lightsaber, and had left it back on the ship. Instead, he reached out with the Force and yanked the blaster out of the man's grip, tossing it aside. "Leia, go!" he shouted, running at the stranger to distract him. He was already reaching for another weapon. Ezra could dodge blaster fire. He hoped.

She pulled herself free. Instead of running, Leia stepped between them. "Fulcrum, wait!" She turned to Ezra. "What are you doing here?"

He stopped, a meter away, his jaw dropping open. He couldn't speak. He gestured behind him at the restaurant.

"I told you I'd be right back." She turned to Fulcrum, who didn't look like any Fulcrum Ezra had ever met. "It's fine. He's here with me."

Fulcrum gave him a hard look. "What was that? I know I didn't drop my blaster. Do you have a repulsor beam on you?"

"It's a trick I know," he said, glancing at Leia. Two could play at not telling people things. "Leia, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said in a huff. They had drawn stares, and she was obviously upset.

Fulcrum brought his hand forward, the one that had been holding hers. He dropped a message capsule into a pouch and closed it. "If we're done, Your Highness." He retrieved his blaster from the ground.

Leia took his arm. Then to Ezra's shock, she took his, too. "Won't you join us for dinner?"

"I have places to be," said Fulcrum uncomfortably.

She smiled and pulled them both in a little closer. "I don't care. Everyone watching needs to think the three of us just had a lovers' spat, and we're going to resolve it with dinner. You can leave in a few minutes when we're no longer interesting. Ezra, no more Jedi stunts."

She pulled them both, forcing them to walk with her. Fulcrum hissed, "He's a Jedi?" Ezra waved at him with his free hand.

The hostess appeared unsurprised to see the three of them enter the restaurant together. A third chair sat at the table by the time they arrived. Ezra pulled away. "Look, this has been great, but you two clearly need to talk."

"Oh!" Leia exclaimed, ignoring him. "The balatana is ready," The serving droid wheeled towards them.

Ezra sat back in his own chair, and Fulcrum took the odd chair. As soon as the droid placed the dish and left, he said, "We don't need to talk. Our business was concluded."

"Rebellion business?" Ezra asked her. "Why didn't you tell me? I could have been your backup."

"I didn't need a backup. I was passing along an infochip to a contact. I was coming right back."

Fulcrum watched them for a moment, then helped himself to some balatana. "This is pretty good. What is it?"

"Dirtworms," Leia said with an annoyed growl.

"What?" Ezra asked, spoon halfway to his mouth. He set it down in a hurry.

She sighed. "It was a joke. It's a fruit. It reminds me of dirtworms, that's all." She was angry now, and out of sorts. If he hadn't followed her, they would be sitting here awkwardly instead of glaring at each other, but if she hadn't left, it never would have been an issue.

"Did you make our date here as an excuse to meet your contact?"

"This was a date?" Fulcrum asked. "Sorry, Your Highness. I really should go."

Leia looked as though she would argue. Then she said, "The crowd will have stopped caring. It should be safe."

He stood and nodded to both of them. Ezra caught the look Fulcrum gave him, weighing up the odds that Ezra really was a Jedi and it hadn't been some kind of joke. He got that look a lot, usually right before he pulled out his lightsaber. "Nice meeting you," Fulcrum said, and left them there.

"This was a mission?"

"It was the perfect place to transfer the files, and it shouldn't have had any effect on our day. Why did you follow me?"

"You left!"

"You couldn't have seen that from here. I was careful."

Ezra sat back and away. She'd thought through this carefully and was angry with him for ruining her plan. He was irritated, too. "I saw you leave. I thought you'd left for good, and I can't afford this place. You know that." It hurt to say the words.

"I was coming back." She sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was also meeting with a contact. I thought you'd assume I only agreed to go out with you because of that."

"Why did you agree?"

Leia began spooning some balatana onto her plate. Then she spooned a little onto his. "Try it. It's really good."

"Leia?"

"I said yes because I like you. You're interesting. You have these powers I've only heard about in stories, but instead of being some distant mystic, you're a boy my age. And you're funny sometimes."

"I am?"

"Sometimes," she said, with a flash that suggested he shouldn't press. "Now, why did you ask me out?"

"What do you mean?"

"You live with a girl."

"Who has told me in no uncertain terms she's not interested in me as anything other than a crewmate. Several times. She even painted it on the wall of my room."

Leia laughed, covering her mouth when she saw the look on his face. She gave him a little shrug. "I told you that you're funny." She took a bite of her balatana. Ezra watched her suspiciously, then tasted a little bite. It actually was pretty good. He took another bite as Leia said, "I think she asked me out a few weeks ago."

"That would explain why she's mad at me."

"It might."

"Yeah, she probably lost a bet with Wedge. He bet me twenty credits I wouldn't have the guts to ask you, and another thirty that you'd say no." He grinned, hoping to make her laugh again.

Leia's smile fell. "You asked me out to win a bet with a man named Sledge?"

"Wedge. He's one of the pilots. You should meet him. He's cool. A lot of the people on base are, but you hardly ever talk to anyone except Mon Mothma when you're there."

"I have important work to do." She looked like she would say more, but the droid brought their meal. "Thank you," she said in a pleasant voice with a pleasant smile. As soon as the droid was gone, she dropped both.

"We all have important work to do," Ezra said. "I can't count how many missions I've run for the Rebellion even before I knew I was working for the Rebellion. Hera didn't tell us. I don't even think Kanan knew."

"Information control is vital to the success of our mission. Our intelligence operatives must keep as much of their missions secret as they can in order to avoid detection or loss during an Imperial interrogation."

"You mean when they torture us." People who'd survived Imperial interrogation and lived to tell about it didn't ever actually tell anyone about it, at least not where Ezra could hear them.

"It's war. I've taken on spy missions of my own. I'm prepared to face an interrogation droid if I ever get caught."

He believed she thought she was prepared. He lifted his water glass. "Here's hoping we never get caught."

Ezra looked at the dishes in front of them. Sprigs and jard, something with honey. Normally he lived on rations, and the few luxuries they'd been able to afford now and then back at the markets. When would he ever get a chance to try this stuff again? "How do we eat this?" he asked her.

"Same as the balatana." She spooned a bit of each dish to the fresh small plate the droid had brought. Ezra followed her lead, waiting to see which utensils of the eight each beside their plates that she would use. Each bite burst into his mouth with rich flavors. The jard was some form of meat he'd never eaten before, textured and chewy. It had been marinated in hot spices, which were cooled by the honey, merging both in his mouth before he felt the burn on his tongue. The sprigs broke with a crisp bite, deceptively light until the sap inside burst open against his teeth with a cooling scent and thick, savory syrup.

"It's good," he said, and felt naive and uneducated as soon as the words were out.

"I thought you'd like it. The way they harvest Nikan sprigs is really fascinating." She got that look on her face Ezra was learning meant Leia was about to tell him all the information she knew. Maybe she saw him slump. Her own shoulders dipped. "Never mind."

"What were you going to say?"

"It's not important." She took a few bites of her meal. The smile she gave him looked genuine and felt fake. Ezra could practically sense the low level anger and embarrassment rolling from her. He couldn't pick up on emotions often. Kanan was the easiest for him to read. The rest of the team relied on the usual mixture of body language, sarcasm, and occasional shouting to express their inner selves. Leia was different somehow.

"Where do Nikan sprigs come from?"

The question posed, Leia launched into a long explanation of system politics with the native ethnic Nikas choosing to harvest their crops by hand versus the more efficient mechanical methods favored by later settlers, and how this led to a clash in governance where embittered parties argued between their dwindling heritage on one side, and the need to adapt to survive in the modern galactic landscape on the other, and the Empire looming in the background threatening at any moment to sweep in and take the entire agricultural production for its own.

It was boring, and Ezra only understood the vaguest gist, but Leia's face and hands were animated, She explained with passion the needs of the different parties involved, and how exports of the sprigs were the one thing continuing to drive the planet's economy. Ezra had never even heard of the place. Leia had opinions backed up with facts.

She stopped. "Sorry. I promised myself I wouldn't lecture." The embarrassment was back.

"I don't mind. It's interesting."

Leia glared at him in disbelief.

"Okay it's not interesting. But you're interested in it, and that's cool. You're smart and you know lots of things. I don't see what's wrong with talking about things you know."

"Because it's boring?" She'd found her smile as soon as he'd said the word 'smart.'

Ezra shrugged. "Reading the room helps. You have to know what to talk with people about to keep them interested, or you'll never get their credit chips from their pockets while they're not paying attention."

"I'm not going to pick their pockets," she said, sipping her water. "Wait, is that something you do?"

"I did, years ago." And more recently when he needed to. Pickpocketing skills came in handy when they were infiltrating Imperial bases. Speaking of lectures, Ezra ought to teach a class on basic thievery to some of the greener recruits. The thought made him grin.

He dropped his smile as the stormtroopers came into the restaurant.

* * *

Leia's shoulderblades itched with worry a moment before Ezra grinned and dropped his smile just as quickly, looking behind her. She had a bad feeling about turning around. "What is it? Look at me when you do."

"Stormtroopers," he said, meeting her eyes. "They haven't spotted us yet."

"They're not looking for us," she said with more confidence than she felt. "This is probably an ordinary sweep."

"Yeah, but you're famous and I'm technically a wanted criminal. What happens when they sweep us?"

"You're not a criminal." She remembered the pickpocketing. "You're not a major criminal."

Ezra drank his water, keeping his eyes on her as he watched the stormtroopers behind her. "That's not what they think. Besides, my, ah, chosen profession carries an automatic death sentence from the Empire." His voice dropped to a whisper by the end. He wasn't wrong. Her parents had no problem with Jedi, or hadn't until Ezra had asked her out, but the Empire was happy to shoot him first and loot his body for his lightsaber later.

"We'll get out of here as soon as we can," she said. She dug for a credit slip and placed it to the side. "That will cover us." Whispering, she added, "Tap your finger if they get close."

"Thanks for dinner," he said. His finger touched the table idly twice. "I'll grab the credits and run," he whispered back. "You can say you I robbed you." The tap on the table turned into a nervous staccato.

It wasn't a large table. Leia grabbed Ezra's neck and pulled him in, pressing her lips against his hard. His eyes opened wide in surprise as she clamped her hand firmly in place to hold him there. She tilted her head, and he caught on, kissing her back and ignoring the 'troopers as they walked by the table. Leia heard one of them mutter in disgust. They walked on, and past, and away.

Leia pulled away. Ezra looked a little stunned, but recovered magnificently as he said, "You know, they might come back. We can't be too careful."

Her laugh caught her off guard, but they didn't attract more attention than they already had. She grabbed Ezra's hand, pressing her side against his as they both stood. She waved to the droid, showing the credit slip, quietly making sure for herself that he hadn't stolen it after all. Then they hurried out together, holding hands, and looking to anyone else like a pair of lovebirds who were off to find a convenient nest.

There were no more 'troopers outside. Leia heaved a sigh of relief. "That was lucky."

"Yeah," he said, blushing a little. "Um."

"I apologize if I was too forward," she said. "Public affection is the fastest way to get government officials to look the other way. They're not getting sex, and they don't like people who are."

Ezra's eyes got even bigger. "But, we didn't...."

She nudged him with her elbow. "They don't know that. Come on. This planet isn't safe." They hurried towards the spaceport together, still holding hands. They didn't know if they would have to get public again in a hurry, Leia told herself.

"How much did you bet Wedge you'd get a kiss? I'm wondering how much of a cut I should ask for."

"I didn't take that bet with him. I was sure I'd lose."

"Too bad. You could have bet him a hundred and we could have gone somewhere nice." She grinned at him and he grinned back. His nervousness had dissipated as they left the restaurant and the stormtroopers behind.

"I really didn't want to know what he was going to bet me next."

Leia could guess. "Good call. I probably would have killed you if you'd bet that, too."

"Harsh but fair."

The spaceport was two blocks away. Leia slowed down a little. Once they reached their ships, they'd go their separate ways, and that would be for the best. She'd done this to prove a point to her parents, but the only point she'd made had been to herself.

"You know, for your first kiss, that wasn't half bad."

"What makes you think that was my first kiss?"

She stared at him. He wilted.

"Okay. I'll take 'not half bad.'"

"You just need more practice," Leia said, and at his sudden interest, she added, "with someone else. Someone you're going to have a better time with than me. Can we agree this was a terrible idea?"

"I don't know. Aside from the almost botched Alliance mission, almost getting grabbed by stormtroopers, and the fact that we both did this for bad reasons, it was kind of fun. But next time, I pick the place."

There wouldn't be a next time, and she could tell he knew that, too. But it was fun to think about, and maybe in ten years or twenty, she'd pull out her memory of today and smile and wonder if she should have gone on a second date. Mother said the wistfulness was the best part of old romances, and she never ever said who she might have been wistful over, not with Father there as the great love of her life.

Their ships were in different docks. Leia leaned over and kissed his cheek. "It was kind of fun. I'll see you around, okay?"

"See you," he said, and he waited until she boarded her ship before moving off to find his own.

* * *

Sabine didn't intend to ask how Ezra's date went. Fortunately, Zeb chimed in as soon as Ezra came aboard.

"You're home early. Didn't expect to see you until tomorrow."

Ezra gave half a shrug. "We called it quits as soon as the stormtroopers showed up."

Sabine stopped pretending not to listen. "Did they see you?"

"No." He got a weird look on his face. She didn't want to know why. "Anyway, tell Kanan no one's getting executed. We didn't even finish dinner, and I don't think we're going out again."

"Well," said Zeb, "that's just one of those things. Better luck next time."

"Yeah," Sabine said. She went to the cockpit to let Hera know he was back while Ezra disappeared into his cabin to change into something that looked less ridiculous.

As soon as the hatch opened, Hera said, "You have a message that came in a few minutes ago. I was just about to go find you." She handed over the datapad to Sabine.

"From who?" She glanced at it, and her heart gave a hard thump. "Are you sure this isn't for Ezra?"

"Positive. It had your name on it." Hera looked like she wanted to laugh and was stopping herself. "Don't tell Ezra. Not today."

"If you agree not to tell any of the others yet."

"Done," Hera said turning back to the controls. "Oh, and Sabine, you can borrow the _Phantom_ if you want."

"Thanks. I'll let you know." She took the datapad back into her own cabin and shut the door. She let herself read the datapad again.

_"Sorry about earlier. If you still want to get together for caf sometime, let me know. I'd be delighted. - L."_

Sabine grinned.

end


End file.
